Well, it's Christmastime here in Korea, and you can see my humble little tree. Around it are some presents which my mother lovingly wrapped for me to take back with me after my Thanksgiving visit, and to open at some point with them during a skype video call. (If I ever run into those European tech-angels who invented skype, I shall kiss them squarely upon the lips as an earnest, "thank you".) I took this pic with my US cell phone since, sadly, my camera took the last breath in its slow death. Since that time, there have been several events I've wanted evidence of in pictorial form, but, alas, had to deal with the harsh reality. I'm hoping to buy a new one soon, and promise to take some better pics of the holiday happenings here.
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Not surprising, but Christmas in Korea is very different from a Western Christmas. First of all, my academy is open. Yes, I will be working on Christmas eve until 11pm, and then on Christmas morning starting at 9am and going until 3pm. This, obviously, seems strange to a Westerner like me, because I work with children, and if I have to be there, it means the kids have to be there, too. But from what I understand, Christmas here is less about the kids, and more about a romantic day off for couples. It is a national holiday, so all public schools and most businesses are closed, but instead of gathering as a family and watching kids open presents, it's a day for couples to go out and about flaunting their togetherness, whilst single people stay home out of the shame of being seen alone. One of my Korean co-workers who is single told me she's glad to be working that day so she doesn't have to be reminded all day of her relationship status. Also, New Year is a more important holiday here than Christmas. Most of the seemingly Christmas-like decorations say "Happy New Year" instead of "Merry Christmas". On that day, children get money (the older they are, the more they receive) and it's considered more of a celebratory family day. Christmas, like Halloween, is a Western event, and so some Koreans get more into it than others, but it definitely is not the tradition that it is at home. Although this doesn't explain why we're also working New Year's Eve and New Year's Day... but I have given up always trying to understand everything that happens here. Sometimes you just throw up your hands and say, "It's Korea." I will reiterate that English academies are big business here, and the more days one stays open, the more money there is to be made. Even if only 25% of the students come, it's apparently still worth the expense.
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I will miss being home for Christmas - I have never been away from my family for this holiday - but I don't feel any lack of love or "togetherness". So many of us are in the same situation, and there's a lot of comraderie in that, and solidarity, and it helps me to keep my sense of humor about things.
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I will be interested in reporting what goes on at our DYB Christmas party, which will be held on a Saturday night starting at 10pm (since we all work late on that Saturday) and will go until who-knows-what-hour. I will like to see how this big company fetes us, and I've heard these parties have been pretty rowdy in the past. I also haven't observed too much of the dynamic of the hierarchy of Asian business professionals, and I know there are some customary things I need to "brush up" on so that I won't offend anyone in a higher position than me, or who is my elder.
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Gina leaves me in only a matter of weeks. Life here will be very different without her. It makes me teary-eyed to think about it. She and Mauri will be taking off for their honeymoon in Thailand in mid-January, and then visiting his charitable organization in India, and then to Italy. I hope to visit her there when my contract expires this summer. I will miss her more than I can say. It makes me well-up just thinking about it, though I'm so happy for her. Ana, another dear friend with whom I've had a weekly bible study in my room for the past few months, will also be leaving at the end of the month to go study in Seoul and pursue her dream of perfecting her English and moving on to bigger and better things. It will be a month of good-byes, and of changes, but there's also a lot of celebrating to do.
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